Just Another Small Town Problem (Chapters 1-3)
by True
Summary: The guys stumble across a young woman being threatened by an extortionist.
1. Default Chapter Title

Title: "Just Another Small Town Problem" (Chapters 1, 2, & 3)   
Author: TrueOnyx   
Summery: The guys stumble across a young woman being threatened by an extortionist.   
Rating: G   
Warnings: None   
Disclaimer: The A-Team is the creation of Stephen J Cannell and Frank Lupo. They belong to Universal and Stephen J Cannell Productions. No copyright infringement intended.   
Comments: This is my first story, so like it or hate it, please let me know. 

## "Just Another Small Town Problem"

  
by TrueOnyx 

Chapter 1

The Blue Lagoon Tavern and Inn wasn't exactly paradise, but it had a quaint charm that agreed with Hannibal. 

"It's perfect." 

"Hannibal," complained Face, "'_quaint_' is another word for rundown. Can't we at least stay at the Holiday Inn up the road? I doubt that Decker would think to look for us there." 

"Too late Faceman," BA interrupted. "Hannibal's got that look on his face again. We stayin' here tonight." 

Grumpily, Face surrendered, "Alright, but at the first sign of insects, I'm leaving." 

"Besides Face, Murdock's been asleep for half an hour. He should get into bed." Hannibal turned his chair around and nudged the snoozing pilot, "Murdock, get up. We found a place for the night." 

Murdock spoke groggily, "Oh, good. Billy, wake up, we've got a place to sleep tonight." 

"You ain't got no dog, so quit talkin' to it, ya crazy foo'!" 

"Now BA, you're just sayin' that 'cause Billy hides from you all the time." 

"Cool it, guys. We're all tired, so we'll get a couple of rooms and crash for the night." 

Chapter 2

In the tavern, a small number of patrons were scattered about the room. The lights were low and soft jazz was playing in the background. A young woman, with red curls and hazel eyes, stood behind the counter. She was staring off into space when the front door opened. She couldn't decide whether to be more surprised by the fact that anyone was coming in at that time of night, or the physical appearance of the four men who entered. The first to enter was an older gentleman, with white hair and clear blue eyes. He was dressed as though he were going on a safari; all that was missing was the pith helmet. The next two to enter were polar opposites of each other; one was dressed impeccably in a well-tailored suit, with perfectly coifed hair and a rakish grin, while the other was a muscular black man with an eccentric haircut, mounds of gold jewelry, and a scowl that would scare the stripes off a zebra. The final man to enter was tall and lean, wearing khaki's, a T-shirt under a flannel shirt, a leather jacket, and a dusty, blue baseball cap. Each man by themselves might not have attracted that much attention, but as a group, they were about as inconspicuous as a herd of elephants in a china shop. The man with the white hair was the first to approach the lady. 

"How can I help you boys tonight?" 

"We're going to need a couple of rooms for the night." 

"No problem. That'll be twenty-five dollars per room, and breakfast will be served down here in the morning, starting at six." 

"Speakin' of food Hannibal, I'm kinda hungry," the one in the cap said. 

"I think that I have some beef stew left if your interested?" 

"That sounds pretty good," Hannibal stated as he turned to look at the rest of his group, who began to look hungry as well. The girl smiled in understanding, "I'll see if I have enough for four. You guys go ahead and find a table, and I'll be right back." 

The girl turned and walked through a pair of swinging doors. After a couple of minutes, she returned with a tray of steaming bowls, "Here you go, gentlemen. Turns out there was just enough. By the way, you have rooms two and three, they're both downstairs," she handed Hannibal two sets of keys, "and if you need anything else, just let me know." 

"And by what name should we address you by?" the one in the suit asked. 

She flashed them a killer smile, "You can call me Sam. Goodnight, gentlemen." She then returned to the kitchen. 

"Sam? What an odd name for such a gorgeous woman," Face commented when she was out of earshot. His companions merely rolled their eyes and ate. 

Chapter 3

**-BANG-**

Hannibal jumped straight out of bed. As he grabbed his gun, he noticed that it was eight o'four in the morning. He cursed at himself for waking up so late. Next to him, BA was doing the same. When they left the room, they nearly collided with Face and Murdock. When they reached the location of the blast, they were mildly surprised to see Sam holding a smoking shotgun at two men, who had guns pointed at her in return. 

"Get out of here, and tell Corliss that I'm not playing his game anymore!" 

"Listen darlin', you don't have a choice," sneered the one standing closest to Sam. 

"Oh, I don't know about that." The three turned to look at Hannibal, who was smiling like the Cheshire cat. He had his gun pointed at the thug by Sam, while the others held weapons on the second thug. 

"So Samantha, you can't pay Mr. Corliss, but you can hire some cheap muscle." 

"**_Cheap?!_**" Face exclaimed indignantly. 

"Hannibal, let me deal with these two," BA nearly growled. 

"But we don't want to kill 'em just yet, BA." 

Sam stopped the conversation with a sharp shake of her head, "That won't be necessary because these two were just leaving . . . **NOW!**" she leveled the shotgun at the one next to her, and the two thugs retreated to their car, "Mr. Corliss isn't going to be happy with you." 

Hannibal answered, "I certainly hope not." 

As the two men drove off, Sam lowered her shotgun and rubbed tiredly at her eyes, "God, I thought they'd never leave." She looked back at the men who had come to her rescue. 

"So, do you mind tellin' us what that was all about?" 

"Come on inside and maybe then I can explain." 


	2. Default Chapter Title

Title: "Just Another Small Town Problem" (Chapters 4, 5, & 6)   
Author: TrueOnyx   
Summery: The guys stumble across a young woman being threatened by an extortionist.   
Rating: G   
Warnings: None   
Disclaimer: The A-Team is the creation of Stephen J Cannell and Frank Lupo. They belong to Universal and Stephen J Cannell Productions. No copyright infringement intended.   
Comments: This is my first story, so like it or hate it, please let me know. 

## "Just Another Small Town Problem"

  
by TrueOnyx 

Chapter 4

After waiting for the men to return from getting dressed, Sam began to explain her situation to them over coffee. 

"So this Corliss guy has been demanding payments from you for 'protection' from his goons?" 

"Yeah, that's about the jist of it." 

"Why did you just start standin' up to this guy?" asked BA. 

"My Uncle Peter used to run this place when I was a kid. I moved away about three years ago to go to college, so I can only assume that Corliss came to town then. About four months ago, Uncle Peter died of a massive stroke, so I came back to run this place; I was the only family he had. Corliss left me alone for a while, but . . . " 

"Now that sleaze is demanding 'back pay'." 

"Exactly." 

"Why not go to the police?" Murdock asked over his coffee cup. 

"Corliss has them scared stiff. This is only a small place, and Corliss has a bunch of big guns working for him." She looked around at the men with an expression bordering on desperation, "I'm at my wits end dealing with this mess. If it weren't for the fact that I have so many medical bills to pay, I'd just sell the place and say to hell with it! . . . I . . . I don't mean that. This is the only place I can call home, and I could never sell it, it's just that I don't know what to do any more!" She sighed heavily, and rested her head in her hands. 

Hannibal looked around to each of his friends, who nodded their heads in agreement to Hannibal's unasked question, "Miss, it looks like you could use the A-Team." 

"I wish. But I'm sure I don't have the kind of money it would take to hire them, even then, I wouldn't know where to look for them." 

"Well Face, you're in charge of finances. What do you think?" 

"I believe that Sam and I could work something out." 

Hannibal continued, "And as to where to find 'em, we're right here." With a flourish, he pulled out a cigar, bit the end off, and stuck it in his mouth. 

Sam sat in shock, "You mean you guys are . . . " 

"The A-Team," Hannibal finished for her, while lighting his cigar. 

"Kinda numbs the mind, don't it." 

"The only 'numb mind' here is yours, sucka'." 

Hannibal stood up and introduced the team, "This is Templeton 'Faceman' Peck, 'BA' Baracus, 'Howlin Mad' Murdock . . . " 

"And you must be 'Hannibal' Smith! I've read all about you guys, but I never thought that I would actually meet you! Oh, I don't know if it would mean anything, but I know what they said you did, and I don't believe a word of it." 

Hannibal's smile softened a bit, "That means everything to us." 

Face cleared his throat to get Hannibal's attention, "So, what's the plan, Hannibal?" 

"We need to inform Mr. Corliss, that his protection is no longer required." 

"Why do I think that this is going to be much more difficult than it sounds?" Face complained. 

Hannibal just grinned. 

Chapter 5

"Hannibal, do we really have to use Clarence again?" 

Hannibal, who was putting the finishing touches on his mustache, sounded hurt, "Why Face, you mean to tell me you don't want to do this?" 

Sam, knowing that Hannibal was just messing with Face, played along by putting on her best 'puppy dog' look. 

Face became more uncomfortable, "No, it's just that I don't want to be 'Harold' again." 

"Well, I guess I could take in Murdock, and you could stay with BA . . . " 

Face blanched at the thought, and revised his statement, "Ok, ok. I'll do it, but this is the last time!" 

'_Sure it is kid_,' Hannibal thought to himself. He knew if the time called for it, Face would do anything, whether he wanted to or not. 

"Corliss' place should be right up this road, but he has several guards and cameras everywhere." Sam faced Hannibal, "Do you think Corliss will fall for this?" 

"Oh, he'll believe what I tell him, but something tells me he won't be open to what I have to say." 

"Then why go in character? Why not go as yourselves?" 

"It's called 'The Jazz', darlin'," Murdock supplied from the seat next to her. 

"'The Jazz'?" 

Murdock began to recite as though he were a Harvard professor, "'The Jazz' is the adrenaline rush caused by the anticipation of a series of prearranged events, otherwise known as a plan." 

"I think I understand." 

The van pulled up near the front gate of a palatial estate. 

"Ok Sam, you stick with me and Face. BA, you and Murdock know your cue. It's Showtime!" 

Chapter 6

The guard walked over to the passenger side door with an annoyed look on his face, "Hey, where do ya think you're goin'?" 

"My name is Clarence J. Wickersham III and I am here to see Mr. Corliss." 

"No one sees Mr. Corliss unless I know about it." 

Sam popped her head up from the back seat, "We're here to see Mr. Corliss about our little financial arrangement." 

The guard leered at her, "So you finally came to your senses, huh. Mr. Corliss will be glad to hear that." 

Clarence, sick of being ignored, interrupted, "Would you stop wastin' our time and open the front gate so that we don't have ta run it over." 

The guard scowled, but walked over to his stand and began to speak into a walkie-talkie. After a few brief words, the front gate swung open and the van made its way up to the main door of the house. A group of men, who were very obviously armed, surrounded a man wearing a deep blue suit and greying hair. BA came up to the passenger side door and opened it, while Murdock opened the sliding door. The sound of whining could be heard from the back of the van, "But Uncle Clarence, why do I have to be here? Can't Sammy and I go back to the inn while you take care of this?" 

"Harold, would you stop your belly achin'. I would think that you would be halfway interested in the welfare of your future wife?" Clarence turned and looked down at the man in the suit, "You Corliss?" 

The man in the suit had paled ever-so-slightly at the bit of conversation that he heard, but he regained his composure when asked the question, "Well, you apparently know who I am, but I cannot say the same for you." 

"I am Clarence J. Wickersham III, this is my nephew, Harold (_he's a little slow, but a wiz with figures_), and you've already had the pleasure of meeting my future niece, Samantha." 

"Yes, Samantha and I have had some business in the past couple of months. What can I do for you now?" 

"Harold, give him the numbers." 

Harold stepped forward, pulling a slip of paper from his coat pocket, "Well, let's see, that's one hundred dollars per month for three years plus interest, add . . . um, how much were the medical expenses, Sammy-darling?" 

"Two thousand, eight hundred, Harry-dearest." 

". . . Add twenty-eight hundred for medical expenses, and let's not forget pain and suffering, your bill comes up to an even seven thousand dollars." 

"A bill?! You gotta be kidding me." 

Clarence stepped forward, "I don't kid Mr. Corliss. Samantha here is a member of my family, and I don't like it when little weasels, like you, harass my family. Now, you have two choices; one, you give Samantha what you owe her and then you leave town for good, or two, I take the money from you and you go to jail. Which is it gonna be?" 

"I'm not goin' anywhere." 

"That's what I thought you'd say. Boys . . . " As Clarence, Harold, and Sam moved out of the way, BA and Murdock sent a spray of bullets above Corliss and his gang. A couple of the more adventurous members of the group went after Clarence, Harold, and Sam, but were deterred by the guns aimed at them. 

"Ok boys, I think that Mr. Corliss got the point. If you want to reconsider, Corliss, come by the 'Blue Lagoon' in three hours. Let's go." 

The team quickly piled into the van and sped off toward town. As they drove away, Corliss was picking himself up off the ground, "I don't like being harassed either, Wickersham. Everybody get ready to go. **NOW!**" 


	3. Default Chapter Title

Title: "Just Another Small Town Problem" (Chapters 7, 8, & 9)   
Author: TrueOnyx   
Summery: The guys stumble across a young woman being threatened by an extortionist.   
Rating: G   
Warnings: None   
Disclaimer: The A-Team is the creation of Stephen J Cannell and Frank Lupo. They belong to Universal and Stephen J Cannell Productions. No copyright infringement intended.   
Comments: This is my first story, so like it or hate it, please let me know. 

## "Just Another Small Town Problem"

  
by TrueOnyx 

Chapter7

"That was amazing! I mean, it was the biggest rush I've ever had!" 

"That was only the beginning, my dear. Wait until he gets here, then the fireworks will really start." Hannibal turned to Face as he peeled off his disguise, "So you know what to get?" 

Face huffed, "Now Hannibal, have I ever **once** forgotten what you wanted?" 

"Just making sure. Alright BA, drop me and Sam off, get to town, get the supplies, then hightail it back here, ok?" 

"Don't worry Hannibal, I'll get us back in time." 

"So what are we going to do, Hannibal?" Sam asked. 

"We're going to prepare a little surprise for Corliss and his cronies." 

"Sounds like fun." 

Face and Murdock exchanged worried glances as they thought the same thing, '_They're on the jazz!_' 

As the van drove away, Hannibal walked into the Blue Lagoon, followed closely by Sam. She gazed at Hannibal contemplatively. Hannibal noticed her expression, and was somewhat apprehensive about it. He finally decided to ask her what was wrong, "Is there a problem?" 

"Hum?" 

"You're staring at me." 

Sam blushed slightly, "I'm sorry, Hannibal. I guess it's because you remind me so much of my uncle." 

"Oh, really?" 

"Yeah. He would always come up with the wildest ideas, like when he first started this place, he didn't get many customers, so he decided that if you came to the tavern and could out eat him, you'd get a free night's stay in the inn. He had people from all over coming in to try and beat him, but after a while, they came just for the good atmosphere. He was always happy, even when I knew he had to be furious, he would just say that everything was going to be ok." She chuckled softly, "I remember when I was about ten, I was playing baseball with a rock and it went right through one of the front windows of the bar. I was petrified of what he was going to do. But when he came out side, instead of yelling at me, he picked up a rock and threw it through the other window, just to prove he wasn't angry." She sighed heavily, "God, I miss him so much." Hannibal moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry, I'll make sure that everything's going to be ok." 

With that, she buried her head in his chest and began to cry. 

"How touching." 

Hannibal and Sam whirled around to face the door, startled by the intrusion. 

"Well 'Clarence', you've changed since we last met. You know, I am disappointed, I expected **some** resistance." 

"I wouldn't be too concerned, if I were you, Corliss. You'll get more 'resistance' than you've ever dreamed of very shortly." 

"Is that so. Take 'em." 

A group of armed guards surrounded them, dragged them out of the room, and into a waiting car. 

Chapter 8

"**BA! Start the van!**" Murdock practically screamed as he sprinted for the van, bundles of wiring gathered in his arms. Face, brandishing a hammer in one hand and a tool kit in the other, was in a mad dash behind Murdock. Both were dressed as telephone repairmen. BA, curious to see what they were running from, looked out the window to see three German Shepherds chasing Face and Murdock. Murdock began dropping coils of wire so he slowed down to pick them up. Face passed by Murdock, and was the first to reach the van. He flung the backdoor open, climbed over the storage box in the back, and urged Murdock on, "Murdock, toss that stuff and get in here!" 

As soon as Face had gotten into the van, BA began to slowly drive forward so that he could have a running start. 

"I'm comin'! I'm comin'!" Murdock began to throw handfuls of wire at Face, while the dogs began to close the gap between them. Face saw Murdock dive for the backdoor, so he turned and shouted, "**Go, go, go!**" Face turned back around to chastize Murdock for his 'Dr. Doolittle' impression, but was shocked when he didn't see Murdock. He leaned over his seat and saw a familiar pair of black high-tops being dragged behind them. Face leapt from his chair, grabbed a hold of Murdock's wrists, and yelled, "**Stop the van!**" 

"What you talkin' about?" 

"Murdock's **not** in the **van!**" 

The van screeched to a halt. Murdock rolled on the ground as Face let go of his wrists. As he tried to sit up, he gripped his right shoulder in pain. Face and BA jumped out of the van, and ran to Murdock. 

"Oh my God, Murdock. Are you ok?" 

"My shoulder feels like it was ripped outta the socket." 

BA carefully pried Murdock's fingers from his shoulder and cautiously felt it, "It's dislocated. Gotta put it back in place." He expertly placed his hands on Murdock's shoulder and arm, while Face held H.M.'s other hand. "It's gonna hurt," and with that he pulled Murdock's arm, setting the shoulder back in place. Murdock, for his part, tried to keep from screaming by biting on his lower lip, but he only succeeded in making it bleed. 

"I'm sorry, Murdock, I thought you were in the van." 

"S'ok, Faceman. I always wanted ta be dragged behind a speedin' vehicle," Murdock joked half-heartedly. He tried moving his arm, but the shooting pain in his arm said otherwise, "Looks like I won't be arm wrestling any gorillas anytime soon." 

"Speaking of 'gorillas', we've gotta get back to the Blue Lagoon." Face turned to Murdock, "Are you going to be ok?" 

"I'll be fine, Faceman. Let's get goin'. I've gotta bad feelin' right now." 

Chapter9

The door to the Blue Lagoon slowly crept open, and a familiar blue baseball cap peeked around, "Lucy, I'm home!" 

When there was no answer, Murdock pushed the door open the rest of the way with his good arm, to allow the others inside. "Looks like you was right, Crazy Man. They ain't here." 

"So I guess that means it's up to us to rescue them . . . again." 

Murdock give him a slightly assured grin, "Ah, don't worry, Faceyguy, it oughtta be a snap ta get 'um outta there." 

Face eyed Murdock skeptically, "You don't really think that, do you?" 

The smile dropped from his face, "Course not." 

"Hey, we can't just leave 'um there!" 

"Well, what would Hannibal do?" 

"Go through the front door," Murdock and BA answered in unison. 

"I was afraid you'd say that." 

"But, you gotta admit that it works about nine times outta ten." 

BA and Face just stared. 

"Ok, ok. It's closer to six outta ten. But the chances are still in our favor." 


	4. Default Chapter Title

Title: "Just Another Small Town Problem" (Chapter 10)   
Author: TrueOnyx   
Summery: The guys stumble across a young woman being threatened by an extortionist.   
Rating: G   
Warnings: None   
Disclaimer: The A-Team is the creation of Stephen J Cannell and Frank Lupo. They belong to Universal and Stephen J Cannell Productions. No copyright infringement intended.   
Comments: This is my first story, so like it or hate it, please let me know. 

## "Just Another Small Town Problem"

  
by TrueOnyx 

Chapter 10

"Hi, guys! What took ya?" 

Face (_with a split lip_), Murdock (_holding his bad arm in a sling_), and BA (_looking like he could spit nails_) were escorted into the already cramped cell. "Murdock's wonderful plan to rescue you two backfired." 

"Hey, **I** am not the one who agreed with it. Besides, I never said it'd work. I **said** the chances were in our favor." 

"Um, guys," Sam spoke up, "maybe it's just me, but shouldn't we get out of here before you rip each other apart?" 

Hannibal suddenly perked up, his eyes brightened, and a manic grin crossed his face, "I think right now the perfect time to rip each other apart." 

The others in the cell looked baffled. 

"Ah, Hannibal, you wanna fill the rest of us in, or do we have to guess?" 

"It's simple Face, you and Murdock get into a fight, a really loud one, and when the guards come to investigate . . . " 

Hannibal's smile soon drifted around the room. And five minutes later, the sounds of a fight could be heard by the entire house. 

"**It's your fault that we're in here in the first place!**" 

"**Oh really! Well, if my plan was so bad, why did ya go along with it! What, couldn't come up with one of yer own!**" 

With that Face lunged at Murdock. The two began to grapple back and forth. The men guarding the cell quickly opened it, then were promptly knocked out by BA and Hannibal. 

Sam looked up at Hannibal, "Ok, now what?" 

"Now?" Hannibal smiled, "Now, we escape." 

TO BE CONTINUED . . . 


End file.
